


You Wear Your Smile Like an Apology

by FandomABurr1



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Danny's sad, Fluff, Little bit of angst, M/M, he just wants to talk about his constellations, they're great
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 06:46:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17913827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomABurr1/pseuds/FandomABurr1
Summary: It’s doesn’t go unnoticed by Dave, the way Eridan either avoids smiling at all or how his little grins are never genuine.





	You Wear Your Smile Like an Apology

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to revive this ship on Ao3

It’s doesn’t go unnoticed by Dave, the way Eridan either avoids smiling at all or how his little grins are never genuine. Like some weight is always pulling his lips into a frown. Dave isn’t sure he understands it completely but he knows it stems from his troubled mind. Poor guy.

He’d stopped styling his hair, instead letting his violet streak fall down over his left eye. Dave was very sure it wasn’t intended to be a big statement as everyone thought. He knew Eridan just didn’t see any point in trying anymore.

Dave’s taken up the hobby of people watching now. Well, he’s only really been watching Eridan but still. He can mostly pinpoint the exact moment the guy’s mood will flip. The moment he’ll avoid your eyes, his own squinting as he stares into nothing. His whole body will tense like he’s expecting someone to hit him. Like he’s about to just spew out some apology for no reason at all.

It bothers Dave to say the least.

This guy walks around like someone’s gonna get angry if he so much as steps a bit too loud. Dave’s thought up some reasons why.

1\. Vriska- everyone knows their “relationship” (if you can even call it that) was extremely toxic for Eridan. How he looks nervous and ready to run whenever he’s in the same room as her. It’s horrible to watch. Makes you wonder what she did to him.

2\. Sollux and Feferi- Feferi was really the only person Eridan ever felt comfortable with (Dave was working to change that) and when she revealed that she never loved him? Damn it took its toll on him. And then she got with Sollux. Eridan still has trouble looking at the pair without wincing.

3\. The Angels- imagine you’ve got these  
monsters whispering in your ear every day of your miserable life on top of being left and basically abused. The guy’s just got one problem or casualty piled onto another. It doesn’t seem to end.

He’s a walking disaster at this point. Sometimes Dave looks at him and wonders how he made it through all of that. It seriously damaged his pride but he’s still going. Sure he still acts like he’s big and bad but it makes no difference when Dave sees him curled into his cape, teeth worrying his bottom lip and brows furrowed. 

That’s when Dave caught Eridan staring out the window one night. It was the first time he’d seen a real smile on Eridan’s face.

He was grinning up at the stars for a minute before he laid his forehead against the glass, eyes falling shut and fins fluttering. Dave didn’t know what Eridan was looking at but it must have been fascinating. He early fell on his damn face when Eridan turned and immediately lost the expression of pure happiness. His smile was replaced with a scowl.

“Fuck are you lookin’ at?” Eridan hissed, glaring past his glasses. And that’s another thing. It’s hard to take him seriously with those round glasses. He’s still got his old pair, he just wears his new ones when barely anyone’s around. Not many can say they’ve seen that magical sight. 

Dave held his hands up in mock surrender.

“Nothin, man.” He mumbled but before he could turn to leave, a question popped into his head. He still didn’t know what Eridan was looking at. He moved beside Eridan, noting how he quickly moved back. “Hey, what were you lookin’ at?”

Eridan ducked his head and his body tensed. Like he had something to apologize for but he didn’t know how. Which was funny because Dave was sure they’d never even met before. 

“That’s- actually none a your business.” 

Dave paused before slowly nodding. 

“I guess that’s fair.” He continued to peer out the window, never missing a thing Eridan did. He knew Eridan took a while to stare at him. The guy was pretty bad at hiding it if he was even trying to at all. He saw how Eridan gradually calmed himself down and placed a hand on the window, near the bottom where no one would really observe it unless they were looking for it. Which, conveniently enough for Dave, he was in fact looking for it.

Dave remembers all the times Eridan nearly broke down. He always seemed to save himself just in time. It was sad to see to say the least. He also recalls the many moments of prolonged eye contact between them. They’d never met yet they’d always know when the other was around somehow. They’d turn at about the same time and just lock gazes until one of them moved on with what they were doing.

Dave knew everyone noticed these times. The room they were in would go strangely quiet and conversation became momentary whispering. Eridan let off waves of annoyance while Dave seemed completely calm. It never made sense how they’d just sit there, Eridan glaring and Dave just observing his expressions as they came and went. 

Karkat once asked him just what the hell had happened and he simply said he had no idea. Dave would tell him he was just as clueless. But he knew that these moments where they’d stare each other down as if challenging the other (more like Eridan was challenging Dave but that didn’t matter) meant that Eridan was catching on to his “people watching” quick.

“It’s Aquarius.” Dave was surprised when Eridan started talking, after all, he thought he’d be receiving the silent treatment. “That constellation there. It’s only a projection but still. You know, he was rewarded for his service with eternal youth along with a place in the night sky. That there is his right arm and-“

The constellation Aquarius really did fit him but Dave had to interrupt.

“It wasn’t your fault, you know.” Dave took a second to meet Eridan’s eyes before he continued. “Everyone in the game was a little dumb. I mean, have you met me?”

“I did horrible things.” Eridan whispered after a while.

“Trust me, you weren’t the only one.” 

Eridan looked up for a while before shaking his head. 

“You didn’t even know me before now. How can you be sure I’m not planning your murder right now?”

“You’re way too outta whack to kill anyone right now.”

Eridan eyes dulled.

“Well that didn’t seem to stop me before.”

Dave shrugged. “Still, you have no reason to kill me. I didn’t provoke you or anything.” This caused Eridan to nod a bit.

“I s’pose you’re right.” Suddenly though, Eridan scowled. “You never let me finish about the constellation, asshole.”

“Oh shit, my bad, man. Go ape shit, my guy.” 

Eridan cleared his throat and continued where he left off.


End file.
